The Chinese government has launched a sweeping crackdown on criminal gangs in the southwestern city of Chongqing.

The area, which is home to some 30 million residents, has been in the clutches of the mafia-style gangs for years.

Recent trials have exposed the unseemly relationships between gangsters, police officers and several high-profile public officials.

But as Al Jazeera's Melissa Chan reports, for some of the gangs' victims, the increased focus by law enforcement is too little too late. 

Warning: This report contains some graphic images.